1954 Mercedes W 196 R Streamliner: The Last Record of a Dream Car

It has become the most expensive Grand Prix car ever: the 1954 Mercedes W 196 R Streamliner, auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in Stuttgart on February 1st for €51,155,000. The reason for this extraordinary value is not so much its sporting merits but rather what it represented at the time and continues to symbolize in Formula 1 history. It was not only a symbol of Germany’s desire to reassert its technological prowess but also the only successful attempt at a fully streamlined Formula 1 car.